Happy Belated 5th Birthday and a Thank You

We never had a dog growing up, but I always wanted one. I can certainly understand why we didn’t since I come from a military family that moved around a lot and we all know that children say they will take care of a puppy, but it really ends up being the adults in the house.

Once I moved out on my own, I decided to get a dog. My apartment had a 25lb weight limit for pets, so the big dogs that I envisioned owning would have to wait. I did a lot of research to find a small dog that wouldn’t yip and annoy the crap out of me and in the summer of 2009 I drove a couple hours to meet and pick up the puppy that I would finally get to call my own.

I had borrowed a truck that had air conditioning since my car didn’t and I remember the drive home and the fact that she was so scared. She sat on the complete opposite side and looked at me waringly as I talked to her on the long drive back. By the end of our trip together, she had crawled into my lap and was sleeping soundly. I loved her the moment I picked her up.

I had originally wanted to name her Gizmo, but changed her name to Pinky because her stomach was so pink and she had a weird little curled tail like a pig. I loved her and my family loved her too.

That was also the summer that my world came crashing down on me as I lost my job because of the drugs I had been stealing and using at work and I faced the prospect of being charged with multiple felonies. It was when I lost a lot and things continued to get worse. I was alone in the fact that I didn’t come clean to my family and friends until the early part of the next year. I was glad to have someone else to take care of because it kept me focused on something outside myself. I was responsible for her and her well being. I’m not sure what would have happened to me if I had continued to use like I was without anything or anyone else to consider.

As I have mentioned before, I got clean May 20th, 2010. I was able to celebrate her second birthday without the distractions of using and lying to everyone. My sister and I took her and our other new puppy addition to the dog park for a day of adventure.

I had to go to court for my sentencing in August of 2010. I had naively convinced myself that I would have no consequences because I didn’t have a criminal record. I put her in her crate that morning and kissed her goodbye and told her I would be back later to play with her.

I didn’t see her again for another 9 months. That day I was sentenced to a year in jail and my family took over caring for Pinky. I felt a terrible sense of abandonment and guilt over the fact that I had left her and my family was left to clean up the mess. I received periodic pictures and stories about how she was doing and it helped me get through those times.

My sister took over caring for her since she had also gotten a dog a year after I did and they had already lived with each other. When I got out of jail, I selfishly assumed that I would just take Pinky back, but after talking to my mom I realized that I needed to do what was best for her and not what I wanted to do. It wasn’t fair for me to take her away from an already established relationship with both my sister and my sister’s dog. It wasn’t easy for me to come to that decision and it definitely wasn’t because I didn’t want responsibility for her anymore.

I don’t think that I have ever thanked my sister for taking responsibility for Pinky when I went to jail. We aren’t a very direct family and sometimes things like that just go unsaid. June 10th was Pinky’s 5th birthday and even though I can no longer call her my dog, I am incredibly lucky that my sister lives so close and I can still see her on a regular basis. I want to thank my sister for everything that she has done and for the love and care that she has given Pink when I couldn’t. My whole family jumped in to help and I am very grateful for that.

Thank you Jackie for everything and I couldn’t ask for a better home for such a precious dog.

6 Comments

Aw, that is such a bitter-sweet post. Thanks for sharing. Glad you can still have a relationship with your pooch. I have two dogs – one is five years and the other is one. They mean everything to me. I bike home 4 miles RT on my lunch just so I can hang out with them.

Such a sad and yet beautiful story! She sounds like such a wonderful dog, and it’s amazing that you have such a loving family that was willing to step in and help when it was needed. That’s what families are supposed to do!